Shoes are supposed to protect our feet and make our life easier. But sometimes, the contrary happens, and we get hurt!
You may sometimes suffer ankle pain due to an injury or an underlying disease.
But most of the time, your shoes are to blame for your foot pain! However, you can eliminate such injuries way before it happens. And that’s what everyone should do – preventing the pain!
Now, I’m going to show you the ins and outs of how your shoes take part in causing pain in ankle joints, tendons, muscles and such.
Make sure you read till the end to know everything from what causes this pain and what to do to prevent it.
Why are Shoes to Blame for Ankle Pain?
The Ankle of our feet is the muster station for our body’s three most essential bones – the tibia, the fibula and the talus!
Altogether, they play a significant role in letting your foot move up & down, right & left.
As we need to use the feet to move our body, it’s inevitable that your ankle can be at rest for a more extended period. At most, you can try to protect your feet by covering them with a shoe.
And here comes the mighty role of a pair of shoes to protect or damage your ankle!
Yes, the wrong shoe choice can damage your feet and cause immense pain around your ankle area.
Commonly, ill-fitting shoes cause blisters and pain in your feet. And sometimes, the injury can reach such a point that you may get severe ankle damage and suffer for a long time.
Choosing the wrong shoes certainly increases the risk of getting a foot injury and developing conditions like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, stress fractures, etc.
Related content you should read about how to stop shoe Rubbing Back of your Ankle?
7 Reasons Your Shoes Are Responsible For Ankle Pain
It may be the size or type of shoes that cause discomfort. Whatever the reasons are, you should address those as early as possible.
Consider investing some bucks in your shoes if you notice the following:
1. Shoes that Lack Support
A good quality shoe always offers the proper support for your feet.
It should contain features like arch and forefoot support, extra cushioning, foamy yet sturdy outsole, breathable upper, fine-tuned midsole and so on.
The more functional the shoe, the more supporting features it should provide.
Unfortunately, some fancy-looking shoes and some of the cheaper shoes aren’t offering such support. Thus, you’ll get hurt if you walk on them.
Wearing shoes that lack support is the main reason your ankle gets injured. The condition will worsen if you wear such less-supporting shoes for a long time.
So, be aware of such sketchy shoes and invest your time and money in a proper supporting shoe!
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2. Shoes that Don’t Fit Well
We all know that ill-fitting shoes disrupt our daily life and may cause foot conditions.
Both too-loose and too-tight-fitting shoes will make your feet unsettled and cause discomfort.
Moreover, poorly fitting shoes can change your walking style, disrupt regular activity and maximize the risk of falling and twisting your ankle. They can’t provide the support your ankle needs.
So, always make sure you buy the pair that fits you well.
3. Shoes that Aren’t For You
It’s not always you get injured from ill-fitting shoes. Injuries may also happen in a well-fitting shoe!
If you’re not wearing the correct type of shoe for the right occasion, then the fitting will take no part in the harm.
Let me make things clear for you.
Suppose you wear slippers or boots to the gym or during your morning run. Will this be appropriate?
No, it will not. You certainly get your ankle damaged if you even try to run on boots!
So, wearing appropriate footwear for each occasion is very important. Follow this rule, or you’ll end up with a broken foot!
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4. Pointy Shoes or Shoes with a Narrow-toe Box
Pointy shoes are the style right now, and people prefer wearing narrow-toed shoes to look fashionable.
However, these are not functional at all!
These fancy-looking shoes can cause pain in the foot. The extra narrow toe box squeezes your toe area and may cause injuries like hammertoes and bunions.
And such toe injuries can lead to serious foot conditions and even ankle injuries.
5. Shoes that Are Worn Out
You may long for your favorite pair even after they get older and nearly or fully wear out!
But you should be aware of such older pairs as they have often done with their prime and become harmful to your feet.
In the case of shoes, the older they get, the more dangerous they become for the feet. Most of cases, it takes only a year to wear out your shoes.
So try changing your footwear frequently to avoid foot injury, including ankle pain.
6. Wearing High-heeled Shoes
High-heeled shoes can also cause ankle pain. The extra height of the heels tends to add more stress on your plantar fascia, aka the balls of your feet.
Usually, a three-inch high heel puts around 75% of body weight onto your plantar fascia.
Thus, the excess pressure can lead to insufferable foot pain that can injure your ligaments, tendons, metatarsal, sesamoid, and toe bones.
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7. Wearing No Shoes At All
After a long day at work, kicking off your shoes can relieve your feet.
While walking barefoot can give you some ease, it can also bring distress.
Walking barefoot on a hard surface for a longer period of time may harm your feet. Your feet can even encounter some harmful substances and get injured.
So, it’s wise to wear some sort of slipper at home rather than roaming around unshod!
Can Flat Shoes Cause Ankle Pain?
Just like High-heeled shoes, Flat shoes can also cause ankle pain as they’re highly fashionable.
Flat shoes are usually shoes with flat outsoles. There is no arch support, as the heel-to-toe drops are usually missing in flat shoes.
Such shoes are not suitable for your ankle. You may wear them on occasion. But wearing them regularly may lead to severe injuries, including ankle pain.
Flat shoes often don’t offer the needed support around the ankle. Thus your ankle can be exposed to some serious injuries like an ankle sprain or soft tissue inflammation.
How Choosing the Right Shoes Can Prevent Foot/Ankle Pain?
Wearing the wrong pair of shoes often leads to foot pain. And sometimes, such pain doesn’t want to live between the feet and tends to expand and spread across the ankle to the legs to the hips!
This way, your life may become so miserable beginning from just a tiny mistake.
So, it’s crucial to choose wisely whenever you buy a new pair of shoes. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.
Try to buy shoes that are your size and fit you well, have decent support for your feet and suit your purpose.
Wear running shoes when running, wear sneakers when walking, wear boots when to work and wear flip-flops on the beach. Wear appropriate shoes for each purpose.
But before that, go through our epic guide on are Volleyball shoes Good for Flat Feet?
Shoes that are Good for Ankle Pain
You can still feel the pain even after choosing the right shoes for your feet. The pain may be caused by any previous injury or any underlying disease.
Or you may already develop the pain by wearing the wrong shoes. So if any of that’s your case, you can try wearing some shoes that can ease your pain.
Yes, some shoes were specially designed to relieve the feet from pain.
Here are some Shoes that are good for fighting against ankle pain:
Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit 2
For supporting your ankles, Nike React shoes are among the top performers.
The Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit 2 has everything wrapped up, from cushioning to arch support, breathability to lightweight look, and traction to durability.
Everything has been packed within one shoe. Medical experts highly recommend this model.
So, if you need ample support for your feet and ankles, let this one be your next pair!
Brooks Adrenaline GTS
Best cushioning, stability, and support – altogether, they made Brooks Adrenaline GTS one of the best shoes for supporting your ankle.
The GuideRails feature keeps your ankles sturdy, and the mesh upper provides the needed breathability.
Moreover, you’ll not feel any chunky feeling while wearing these shoes.
There is a smooth heel-to-toe transition that will give your feet the needed comfort. Overall, Brooks Adrenaline GTS can be the best for your purpose.
New Balance 1540v3
These shoes have the best foamy outsole support and a durable upper build. The sturdy midsole and the supportive structure made this one of the best shoes for running or walking.
With the supportive yet comfortable build, your feet will feel like heaven while hopping on a New Balance 1540v3!
Parting Thoughts
Compared to our whole body, the ankle may seem like a tiny part of all. How insignificant it may seem, a lot is going on underneath!
You may be an active runner, athlete, heavy-duty worker, or casual wearer.
Whatever the purpose of your moving, your ankle is such a crucial part.And this part may get into grave danger if you don’t wear a proper pair of shoes.
So, it’s important to address the issue with your shoes and take action, like changing the pair.
